Heat sealing device



Jan. 19, 1960 D. A. DREISBACH HEAT SEALING DEVICE Filed May 2, 1957 INVENTOR. DALE A. DREISBACH ATTORNEY Unite ates HEAT SEALHNG DEVECE Dale A. Dreisbach, Akron, Ohio Application May 2, 1957, Serial No. 656,671

2 Claims. (Cl. 154--1.6)

This invention relates to heat-sealing devices and in particular has reference to an improved type of heatsealing device having particular utility in applying drawstrings to plastic bags.

In the known prior art of heat sealing one plastic material to another, it has long been known that the actual heat-sealing operation can be efiectuated by the application of heat to the plastic members when the same are in adjoined or abutted condition. In theory, application of this heat causes a fusing of these members into one piece.

In the normal heat-sealing device, it is customary to merely apply hot irons or other devices to the parts when the same are butted together, and various types and forms of devices for this purpose have been provided in the prior art.

In co-pending application, Serial No. 250,413, filed October 9, 1951, by Dale A. Dreisbach, now US. Patent 2,799,611, there was disclosed a method of securing a drawstring to a flexible plastic bag. This application is a continuation-in-part application of the aforesaid copending application and describes the mechanism disclosed therein for effectuating the securing of the drawstring to the flexible bag.

It accordingly becomes the principal object of this invention to provide an improved type of heat-sealing device that is capable of rapidly and efliciently supporting the open end of the plastic bag so that upon operation thereof, a drawstring may be readily applied thereto.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an improved type of heat-sealing device characterized by simplicity of operation and a low initial cost, thus enabling the same to be used in mass-production of plastic bags having a flexible drawstring incorporated therein.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following brief specification considered and interpreted in the light or" the accompanying drawings.

Of the drawings:

The figure is a perspective view illustrating the improved heat-sealing device.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that the heat-sealing device, generally designated by the numeral 10, includes a base 11 upon which may be supported a heat-sealing wheel 11a, as well as a bag supporting means 12, the arrangement being such that a bag (not shown) may be rotatably supported about the bag-supporting means 12 so that a composite tape 13 may be applied thereto upon operation of the device, as will presently be described.

Considering first the structure of the heat-sealing wheel 11a, it is to be noted that the same is rotatably supported at one free end of an upright frame member 2%) so as to be rotatable in clock-wise rotation, as indicated by the arrow in the figure of the drawing. Also, and as shown in the figure, the heat-sealing wheel 11a will have peripheral ribs 21 and 22 provided at the axial edges of the wheel 11a for contact with the bag-supporting means 12, as will be presently described. For the sake of clarity, the

, 2,921,620 Patented Jan. 19, 1960 detailed construction of the wheel 11a is not illustrated, it being understood, however, that the wheel is heated in known manner so that the peripheral ribs 21 and 22 constitute the heated surface. It is to be understood, however, that balance of the wheel may be heated. Similarly, the means utilized to rotate the wheel 11a are of conventional type and do not form a part of this invention.

Considering next the bag-supporting means 12, it will be seen that the same includes support drums Sit-and 31 respectively journalled about support frames 32 and 33; the arrangement being such that frame 32 attaches to plate 34 while frame member 33 is pivotally secured to a secondary frame member indicated by the numeral 35 in the figure of the drawings. In order to facilitate variation in the dimension between the axes of rotation of the support drums 3b and 31, the plate 3-4 is further shown hinged about an upright frame 36 that attaches to base 11, with such structural arrangement of component parts facilitating attachment of link arms 33 to plate 34, thus permitting the support drums 3b to be arcuately moved upon pivotal movement of arm 37 about pivot point 380. Also, as indicated, and to the end of retaining the component parts in the position of the figure where the supporting drum 3% is urged into adjacency with the whee 11a, there is provided a spring 39 that has its opposed ends interconnecting the base 11 and arm 37 as clearly shown in the drawings.

By like token, the secondary frame 35 is attached through plate 4-9 to base 11 with spring 41 serving to urge the support drum 31 about the point of pivotal connection between the frame members 33 and 35.

Turning next to the means utilized for supporting the composite tape 13, it will be seen that the device further includes upright supports 54? and 51; that respectively support first and second tape rolls 52 and 53. The arrangement of these parts is generally such that the heat-sealing wheel 11a, the end surface of drum supports 30 and 31, and the tape rolls 52 and 3 are in a common vertical plane through the machine, and in this manner the tapes 52a and 53a can be fed into a joining device indicated generally by the numeral 6% in the figure of the drawing.

In this regard, the joining device 65 includes pegs 61, 61, With the tapes 52a and 53a being played about these pegs e1, 61 as shown in the figure so as to form, upon emission therefrom, a common tape indicated generally by the numeral 13 in the drawings, with this tape 13 being fed between the heat-sealing wheel 11a and the drum support 30 as shown in the figure of the drawings.

In use or operation of the improved device, it will first be assumed that the component parts have been assembled as indicated and further, that the heat-sealing wheel 11a has been heated, while the tape rolls 52 and 5'3 have been provided with the supply of tape 52a and 53a. It will further be assumed that these tapes 52a and 53:: have been fed through the joining device 60 as shown so as to form a common tape defined by superimposed tapes 52a and 53a. At this time, it is merely necessary that the operator move the arm 37 in the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure of the drawings, which movement will result in a decrease in the distance between the drum supports 36 and 31, due to the pivotal connection between arm 37 and drum support 30, as has been previously described. in this collapsed condition, the spring :1 will have also urged the drum support 31 about its pivot point and at this time, a bag may have its open end inserted about the drum supports 3% and 31 and when the bag has been positioned in a preliminary manner, the spring 39 will have urged the arm 37 in the direction of the arrow in the figure so that as a result of the above described pivotal connection between arm 37 and drum support 30, the latter element (drum support 30) will be urged out of contact with the sealing wheel 11. Additionally, at this point, it is to be noted that the spring 41 will urge the drum support 31 about its pivot point so that the bag supporting means 12 will, in effect, he in a collapsed condition. At this time, a bag may have the open end thereof positioned about the drum supports 30 and 31 and at this time, the tape 13 may be fed into adjacency with the now rotating heat-sealing wheel 11a, and upon movement of the arm 37 in a direction opposed to spring 39, the drum support 30 and the bag received thereon will move into contact with the revolving heatsealing wheel 11a.

As rotation of the wheel continues, it is believed apparent that this will have a driving effect on the drum supports 30 and 31, which will cause progressive rotation of the bag edge into contact with the advancing tape 13, so as to permit heat sealing of the same thereto,

It has been shown in the preceding paragraphs that there has been provided a new and novel type of heatsealing device, characterized by an extreme simplicity of use, together with a low initial cost.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in accordance with the dictates of the patent statutes, it is to be understood that the invention is not intended to be so limited, thus, it is to be understood that while the device disclosed has particular utility with regard to securing a drawstring to a flexible bag, that other uses on other parts are contemplated.

Accordingly, modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

This application is a continuation-in-part application of Serial No. 250,413, filed October 9, 1951, by Dale A. Dreisbach.

What is claimed is:

1. A heat-sealing device of the character described, comprising; a base; a sealing wheel supported on said base; a rotatable bag-supporting device having an expansible peripheral supporting surface aligned with said sealing wheel; an outer tape roll and inner tape roll; means for aligning said outer and inner tape rolls into overlapped relationship with each other; means for feeding said overlapped tape between said sealing wheel and said supporting surface of said bag-supporting device; means for sealing the outer of said tapes to a bag supported on said bag-supporting device whereby the inner of said tapes is movably enveloped between said bag and said outer tape; and means for shifting said supporting surface of said bag-supporting device into and out of contact with said sealing wheel.

2. A heat-sealing device of the character described, comprising; a base; a sealing wheel supported on said base and having a peripheral bag contacting surface; first and second support drums having their axes of rotation substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said sealing, wheel and each having a bag-supporting surface disposed I in a common plane with said bag contacting surface of said sealing wheel; means for varying the distance between the axes of rotation of said first and second support drums; an outer tape roll, an inner tape roll; means for aligning said outer and inner tape rolls into overlapped relationship with each other; and means for feeding said overlapped tape between said sealing wheel and a support surface of at least one support drum and means for sealing the outer of said tapes to a bag supported on said first and second support drums whereby the inner of said tapes is movably enveloped between said bag and said outer tape.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,372,737 Phillips Apr. 3, 1945 2,556,264 Flynn June 12, 1951 2,734,553 Rawls Feb. 14, 1956 2,749,966 Roetger June 12, 1956 2,768,673 Gaubert et a1 Oct. 30, 1956 2,795,263 Honkanen June 11, 1957 2,799,611 Dreisbach July 16, 1957 

